Chico flower project aimed at creating beauty with 'purpose'

CHICO -- For most of a year, Shelly Watson has been trying to nurture a plan that looks like it is about to bloom with a potential crop of hope and purpose.

Watson is the director of outreach at the Jesus Center, 1297 Park Ave., which also means she has been involved in a pair of women's shelters, the Sabbath House and the House of Hope, run by the organization.

Since April of last year, Watson has been working on a plan to create a flower cart — Blooms of Hope — she believes will do more than create and market beautiful flower arrangements.

Since she was a young teenager, Watson has worked on and off in the floral business. She learned how to clean and prepare cut flowers for sale.

Friday, Watson was at the Jesus Center teaching volunteers from the two women's shelters how to prepare flowers.

She hopes that on Thursday and Friday the ladies will be able to sell flowers in downtown Chico from a cart that was constructed by other volunteers.

The Valentine's Day-tied effort will be the first attempt to sell the flowers, but Watson said the project is not about making money.

She explained she hopes to see the women learn a "vocational skill," but even that is a secondary target.

Watson said the central effort is to give people a sense of "purpose."

There was a time when Watson was surviving on Social Security disability income, and she learned the desperation of having no goal, no sense of direction, no purpose.

"You feel good when you create something, when you have something," she said.

Around four years ago, Pamela Oriero was a resident of the Sabbath House. Now she lives on her own and is a Jesus Center volunteer, but she remembers why something seemingly as simple as preparing flowers is important. "It gives them an inspiration to do something. It gives them a happy thought," said Oriero.

She said you get a "positive outlook" on whatever you can create with flowers.

Oriero also said she learned through her hard times, "Anybody can change their life no matter what their situation is."

Watson said the initial plan with the flower cart is to be able to sell the blooms on Valentine's Day, Easter and Mother's Day, but beyond this week all of that is essentially a hope.

She said the organization has requested a street cart license from the city, and if it rains they have a tent they will erect over the cart.

No decision has been made on precisely where the cart will be set up, but Watson said she would like to see it on the sidewalk in front of the "fish fountain," outside of the Chico City Council Chambers, 421 Main St.

Whether this will work financially remains to be seen.

She said she would feel the project has succeeded if they raise enough money to help cover the utility bills at the House of Hope.

Watson wants the women to learn skills. If the cart turned into a real success, it would be great to be able to hire two full-time people to keep it in operation, she explained.

At the same time, "I don't want to compete with the flower shops. I just want to keep supplying flowers" and a "purpose" for women who need one.